Open-end container



A. L. WEIS- OPEN END comma. I APPLICATION FILED DEC. 26, 1917 1,394,590, Patented Oct. 25, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

A. L. was. OPEN END CONTAINER; APPLICATION FILED DEC. 26, 19!].

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Oct. 25, 1921.

NETE YES NEE ANDREW I. WEIS, OF MONROE, MIGHIG-AN, ASSTLGNOR TO THE WEIS FIBRE CONTAINER CORPORATION, OF MONROE, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

Application filed December 26, 191?.

To all w/eom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ANDREW L. VVEIs, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Monroe, county of Monroe, and State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Open- End Containers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to containers of the kind which are made of paper or other fibrous sheet material, and more particularly to those which are made from blanks which, when folded, form a square or rectangular container having a top and bottom and four sides.

Generally stated, the object of the invention is to provide an improved method of construction whereby a container of this general character is provided with a closed bottom and an open top or upper end, so that the opening is fully as large as the end or top of the container, but having flaps which will fold upon each other and overlap in a manner to stiffen the container and maintain the shape thereof, and whereby the container. is closed by a cap which fits over the open end or top thereof, as distinguished from fiber containers of this general class which have heretofore been made with a closed top or upper end having only a restricted opening therein for the introduction and removal of the contents of the contalner,

such as liquids or granular materials, and whereby acontainer of this kind may be employed for holding cigars or other commodities which could not be inserted through a small or restricted opening, but which can be easily and satisfactorily crowded into the container through the open end provided by the new construction.

It is also an object to provide certain details and features of" construction tending to increase the general efficiency and desirability of an open end fiber container of this particular character.

To the foregoing and other useful ends, the invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a perspective of a fiber container embodying the principles of the invention, showing the same sealed by the cap at the top thereof.

Fig. 2 is a perspective of said container with the cap removed.

Specification of Letters Patent.

sheet material, and comprises four 1 to the lower endsof the Pateiited Oct. 25, 1921. Serial No. 208,952.

Fig. 3 tainer.

V Fig a is a detail section on line t-4 in Fig. 3.

l 1g. 5 is a perspective of the upper end of said container, showing the flaps extendmg upward and ready to be folded downward upon the top of the contents of the container, after the latter is filled.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the blank from which the container is made.

Fig. 7 is a plan of the blank from which the sealed cap of the container is made.

As thus illustrated, the blank A. is made from paper or fiber or any other suitable body or side wall sections 1, 2, 3 and 4, two long flaps 5 and 6 for the bottom, and two short flaps 7 and 8 for the bottom. The blank is also provided with an end strip or flap 9 which laps upon the inner surface of the section 4 when the blank is folded along the score lines 10, 11, 12 and 13 in the process of forming the container. At its other edge, the blank is formed with four short flaps 14, 15, 16 and 17, which are inthe form of straight rectangular strips having square corners, but flexibly connected with the body sections or side walls by scorelines 18. 19. 20 and 21 so that these flaps can be folded over upon each other. Also, it will be seen, the flaps 5, 6, 7 and 8 are flexibly connected side wall sections 1, 2. 3 and 4 by Score lines 22, 23, 24 and 25, so that these long and short flaps can be folded upon each other to form the bottom of the container. Any suitable method can be employed for folding these bottom flaps, as, for example, by first folding the flaps 7 and 8 toward-each other, so that they will occupy the same horizontal plane at the bot tom of thecontainer. and by then folding the long flaps 5 and 6 upon each other and upon the short flaps, it being understood is a vertical section of said conthat the flaps are glued or otherwise suitably then be folded upon each other to stiffen the container and keep it square or rectangular at the top thereof, (see Fig 2), and thus strengthen the container which is practically wide open at the top or upper end thereof.

The cap B (see Fig. 2) is square or rectangular and composed of a top wall 26 and four side walls 27, 28, 29 and which fit down tightly upon the sides of the container. The blank from which the cap is made (see Fig. 7) is preferably of the same material from which the container itself is made, or any suitable sheet material, and is formed with score lines 31, 82, 83 and 34:, outlining the rectangular top wall 26 of the cap. It will also be seen that the ends of the side walls 28 and 30 are square, and are flush with the score lines 32 and 34, whereas the ends of the side walls 27 and 29 are beveled or oblique, being formedwith end portions 35 which are flexibly connected to the ends of these side walls by short score lines 36 which extend in straight continuation of the two score lines 31 and 33, whereby the walls 27 and 29 are provided with flexible end flaps. These end flaps 35, when the blank for thecap is folded, are glued or otherwise secured to the inner surfaces of the walls 28 and 30, so that a square or rectangular cap is provided which will fit down tightly over the top or upon upper end of the container, after the flaps 1e, 15, 16 and '17 thereof are folded downward upon each other. It will be seen that the ends of the flaps 35 are caused to fit together endwisawhereby their end edges not only shut tightly, but also overlap so that in effeet a splice-joint is provided which stitfens the walls. Also, this makes the cap tightfitting all around, and keeps the air out. As

to maintain the shape of the cap, so that the entire container when filled and sealed will be strong and rigid and capable of resisting ordinary compression strains which might tend to makeit collapse if it were not thus strengthened andheld rigidly in shape at both top and bottom. The B can be secured in place in any suitable or desired manner, by glue or paraffin, if such is desirable or necessary, and with the entire container coatedinside and out with paraflin, in the usual and well-known manner,the contents of the container will be hermetically sealed when the cap is in-place. V

With the foregoing construction, it will be seen that the flaps 1e, 15, 16 and 17, which are of uniform length and width, only overlap each other at the corners of the container, so that 'a rectangular opening C is provided between the inner edges of these flaps when folded. In this way, said flaps 1e, 15, 16 and 17 combine to form a sort of stiffening flange around the inside of" the upper open end of the container, for the purpose of preventing distortion of the container, as previously described. If desired,

the flaps 15 and 17 may be provided with creases 37 extending lengthwise thereof, which form raised ribs or ridges on their upper surfaces, and which form channels on their under surfaces, when the flaps are folded over upon the contents of the container. portions may be formed in the blank, by any suitable means, (see Fig. 6), and are of a length to extend from the inner edge of the flap 14 to the inner edge of the flap 16 (see F 2), and are of a height to raise the tops of the underlying-flaps to the level of the overlying flaps, thereby to seal the space between the bottom surface of the top wall 26 of the cap and the top surfaces of the flapsv 15 and17 when the cap is in place. In other words, the ridges 37 firmly engage the under surface of the top wall 26 of the cap, and thus serve to prevent entrance of air or moisture into the container.

It will beunderstood, of course, that the container can be made either with or without the coating-of paraffin, and that for some purposes-it will notbe necessary to hermetically seal the cap, and that the containers can be made andused either with or without vthe paraflin or other similar sealing means, depending upon the character of the article or commodity to be inclosed therein. That I claim as my invention is 1. Acontainer constructed from sheet material and provided with widewalls and a closed integral bottom, and having four separate and inwardlyfolding flaps for the These creases or upwardly pressed 7 upper edges of the side walls, two ofwhich flaps overlap the other two-flaps at the corners of the container to'forma stiffening flange around the inside of the four sides of the top of the container, but with a rectangular opening between the inner edges of said flaps when folded at the top of the container, the two overlying flaps j-being adapted to release the two underlying flaps, and means to close the top of the container and hold the two upper flaps-upon the two lower flaps, said closingmeans comprising a rectangular cap having a top wall and side walls adaptedto fit tightly over 'thetop of the container, and means on the unde'rlying flaps to raise their tops to the level of the overlying flaps, so that the cap will rest tightly on all of the flaps.

2. A rectangular container having a.

closed bottom and an open top, and a cap for the top of the container, .all of the inner surface of the cap being smoothnand'fiush everywhere, so that the cap will tightly seal the container, said cap having-a top wml,

two opposite side walls, two opposite rectangular side walls, and two opposite side walls having inside flaps which are secured to said rectangular side walls in position to insure said flush inner surfaces, said container having flaps provided with flat surfaces to engage the under side of said top wall of the cap, and said container having other flaps provided with ribs to engage the under side of said top wall of the cap, as specified,

3. In the construction of a fiber container, a blank therefor comprising rectangular side wall sections (1, 2, 3, 4) to form the upright walls of the container, two long and two short bottom flaps (5, 6, 7, 8) foldable upon each other to form the bottom wall of the container, a flap (9) to connect the two ends of the blank together, and top flaps (14, 15, 16, 17) of uniform size and folded so that two opposite flaps are on top and the other two below to form a stiffening flange around the inside of the four sides of the top of the container, two of said flaps (15 and 17 having longitudinal ridges (37) on the upper surface thereof, for the purpose specified.

4. I11 the construction of a fiber container,

a single blank from which the entire container is formed, comprising four side wall seetlons having then-flower ends provlded with overlapping flaps to form the bottom wall of the container and having their upper ends provided with short flaps two of which are folded down upon the other two flaps at the four upper corners of the container, so that two opposite flaps are in a plane above the other two opposite flaps at the top of the container, with space forming a rectangular opening between the inner edges of said short flaps, when thus folded at the top of the container, thereby to form a stiffening flange for the four upper edges of the side wall section, the lower flaps of the top having ridges extending between the inner edges of the upper flaps, and a cap having a top wall to rest upon said upper flaps and said ridges of the lower flaps.

5. In a box, the combination of two parallel lower flaps at the topof the box, two parallel upper flaps resting on the two lower flaps at the four upper corners of the box, so that a rectangular opening is formed between the four edges of said flaps, and a cover having a top wall to rest flatwise upon said upper flaps, in combination with means on said lower flaps to engage said top wall of the cover for the purpose specified.

Signed by me at Monroe, Monroe county, Michigan, this 19th day of December, 1917.

ANDREW L. WEIS. 

